Luxembourg Cat Health Research Institute to Open Seongsa Innovation District in Early Next Year
Establishing Plans for Bioindustry Development and Support - Investment Attraction... Infrastructure Building Progressing Steadily
Hosting Global Forums and Training Experts... Building a Bioindustry Ecosystem
Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) is establishing a Bio International Joint Research Hub Center and promoting the creation of a Bio Precision Medicine Cluster to realize a global self-sufficient city.
According to the 4th Basic Plan for Biotechnology Promotion, as of 2021, the global bioindustry market size (2.092 trillion USD) is about 3.5 times that of the semiconductor market (59.5 billion USD), comparable to the combined total of the world’s top three industries (automobile, petrochemical, semiconductor). The city plans to establish the Luxembourg Goyang Health Research Institute and nurture the bioindustry as a core strategic industry through long-term bioindustry development plans and talent cultivation.
Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City (second from the right), is signing an agreement to establish the Korean branch of the Luxembourg National Health Institute. Provided by Goyang Special City
In May next year, the Luxembourg Goyang Health Research Institute ‘LIH-G,’ a Korean branch of the Luxembourg National Institute of Health (LIH), is scheduled to open within the Changjo Innovation Campus in the Goyang Seongsa Innovation District.
The Luxembourg National Institute of Health (LIH) is an internationally renowned research institution with top-level European technology in AI and data utilization, digital medical devices, precision medicine, and biobanks. Since last year, the city has shared the vision of creating the Goyang Bio Precision Medicine Cluster through mutual visits and meetings with LIH, and this year signed two agreements to establish the ‘Luxembourg Goyang Health Research Institute (LIH-G).’
The Luxembourg Goyang Health Research Institute is the first overseas public institution attracted to Gyeonggi Province. Originally planned to be established after the designation of the Free Economic Zone, the city advanced the schedule and decided to first set it up in the Seongsa Innovation District, which was completed last month. The Seongsa Innovation District is a large-scale complex space with a total floor area of 99,837㎡, ranging from three basement floors to 25 above-ground floors, consisting of residential, office, and commercial facilities.
Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City (left), is seen holding a meeting with officials from the Luxembourg Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Provided by Goyang Special City
The research institute will occupy about 180㎡ of exclusive space within the Seongsa Innovation District and plans to form a cooperative network with large hospitals such as the National Cancer Center to activate joint research on healthcare data utilization. The National Cancer Center signed a joint research project development and execution agreement with the Luxembourg National Institute of Health in July. The Ministry of Science and ICT also partnered with the Luxembourg Ministry of Higher Education and Research to collaborate on R&D in the bio-health sector.
With the establishment of the Luxembourg Goyang Health Research Institute, it is expected to strengthen local research infrastructure as an international joint research hub center, attract advanced research personnel, and serve as a catalyst for attracting companies to the Free Economic Zone in the future.
The city is promoting the creation of a Bio Precision Medicine Cluster capable of supporting bio basic research and development, clinical trials, marketing, and commercialization centered around Ilsan Technovalley.
The letter of intent signing ceremony for investment in Goyang Special City and Rokit Healthcare Goyang Economic Free Zone (Ilsan Technovalley). Provided by Goyang Special City
The bioindustry is one of the core strategic industries in the Free Economic Zone promoted by Goyang City. Last year, to foster the bioindustry in earnest, the city established a strategic industry team dedicated to bio affairs as the first organizational reform of the 8th elected administration and enacted the ‘Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Bioindustry in Goyang City.’ The Goyang Research Institute is expected to complete next month the ‘Study on Establishing the Basic Plan for Bioindustry Promotion in Goyang City,’ which includes basic directions, goals, mid- to long-term strategies, and implementation plans for bioindustry development.
Additionally, the city is expanding its cooperation network by signing a memorandum of intent for investment in Ilsan Technovalley with Rokit Healthcare, a leading company in bio long-term regeneration, and signing a letter of intent with Ingenia Therapeutics, an antibody-specialized company in the Boston bio-cluster in the United States.
Last month, the areas of Daehwa, Janghang, and Beopgot-dong, where Ilsan Technovalley and others are being developed, as well as Siksa-dong and Baekseok-dong, home to the National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital and Dongguk University Biomedical Campus, were designated as venture business promotion districts. The city plans to support venture business development based on this designation and promote industry-academia-research-public cooperation within the bio-cluster in collaboration with comprehensive hospitals in the area.
The city is building a bioindustry ecosystem by preparing development plans for the bioindustry in northern Gyeonggi and nurturing practical talents suited to the 4th Industrial Revolution. The global AI new drug development market size is expected to grow from 600 million USD in 2022 at an average annual rate of 45%, reaching 4 billion USD by 2027.
In July, the city co-hosted the ‘2024 Gyeonggi-Goyang Global Bio Forum’ with Gyeonggi Province at Sono Calm Goyang. About 250 bio-related participants attended the event, which served as a public forum under the theme ‘Fostering the Global Bioindustry for the Innovative Economy of Northern Gyeonggi.’
In August, the city operated ‘Bio Specialist Training Education’ for unemployed Goyang citizens aged 17 and older, providing theory and practice in 3D bio-printing. Selected for the Gyeonggi Future Technology School Operation Support Project, the program was conducted with a total budget of 40 million KRW (50% provincial, 50% city funds), with Rokit Healthcare participating as the educational institution. It is expected to foster high value-added future technology talents, create startups and employment in the bio sector, and expand understanding of the biomedical industry within the region.
Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, attending the 2024 Gyeonggi-Goyang Global Bio Forum and delivering a greeting. Provided by Goyang Special City.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang City said, “Goyang has strengths for bioindustry development, including a geographic location capable of supplying talent, large general hospitals such as the National Cancer Center, and economic ripple effects utilizing KINTEX.” He added, “We will spare no policy support to ensure that the Luxembourg Goyang Health Research Institute (LIH-G) becomes a foothold for domestic bio companies and institutions to advance globally.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
